Highly Selective Preparation and Depolymerization of Chemically Recyclable Poly(cyclopentene carbonate) Enabled by Organoboron Catalysts

Poly(cyclopentene carbonate) (PCPC) produced by copolymerization of CO2 and cyclopentene oxide (CPO) is a promising but challenging chemical recyclable polymer that has high potential in minimizing plastic pollution and maximizing CO2 utilization. Currently, problems remain to be solved, include low reactivity of toxic metal catalysts, inevitable byproducts, and especially the ambiguous mechanism understanding. Herein, we present the first metal-free access to PCPC by using a series of modular dinuclear organoboron catalysts. PCPC was afforded in an unprecedented catalytic efficiency of 1.0 kg of PCPC/g of catalyst; while the depolymerization of PCPC abides by a combination pathway of random chain scission and chain unzipping, returning CPO in near-quantitative yield (>99 %). The preparation and depolymerization of PCPC along with in depth understanding of related mechanisms would be helpful for further development of advanced catalysts and recyclable plastics.